Outerwear Design Course

+ Small Brand Photography Course
$135 x 4 Months
Purchase
$135 x 4 Months
Purchase Course

Outerwear Design
+
Brand Photography

Learn how to design and build professional outerwear at home and take world-class photos of it - even with limited tools and experience

We're here to show that you don't need special equipment, a design loft downtown, or years of schooling to create world class outerwear.

Become You are a Designer

We're not here to teach you how to make a specific jacket, we're here to teach you the fundamentals of outerwear design, so you can design and build your own jackets.
This isn't a recipe - this is a culinary course.

You're the visionary, you're the designer.

Lifetime access to 76 detailed video lessons
-
Full set of professional printed patterns
-
70 page digital workbook & sourcebook
-
Access to future content & lessons
-
60 day guarantee

Theory & Practice

The Outerwear Design Course is organized into seven simple sections

Theory

We teach you everything you need to know about designing and building professional outerwear, from materials and trim, sourcing, fit, professional craftsmanship, design, details, and more.

Practice

Next we put it into practice by designing and building four different jackets from start to finish, two technical jackets and two classic jackets. Watch as we work on our designs, and bring each jacket from concept to reality. Finally we end each jacket with what worked well, and what we could improve for next time.

Commercially licensed professional patterns

Women's   Xs - XL
Men's   XS - XL

When you register for the Outerwear Design Course we send you a full set of professional patterns. These aren't your average tissue paper patterns that come in an envelope - these are professional patterns. Ten sheets each measuring 36" x 48" where each pattern piece is separate, meaning you can make as many jackets in as many sizes as you want.

These patterns cost us over $2,500 to develop - and they come included with the course

You also get so much more than just printed patterns - we teach you how to modify the patterns to make nearly any kind of outerwear you can imagine, and nail the perfect fit.

- Hooded sweater? Check
- Waxed canvas bomber? Check
- Leather jacket? Check
- Rain jacket? Check
- Winter parka? Check

So what do we mean 'commercially licensed'? It simply means you are free to sell jackets made with these patterns - something you can't do with most consumer patterns.

Let's get started!

The Outerwear Design Course has everything you need to create professional outerwear at home, including printed patterns licensed for commercial use (you are encouraged to sell jackets made with the patterns)

If you're just getting started check out our Outerwear Design Workshop - packed with value and perfect for those just starting out in outerwear design

60 Day Guarantee

We're not here to make a quick sale, we're here to help you design and build jackets you're proud of.

That's why we offer a 60 day guarantee so there's no rush - if the course isn't right for you, we'll refund your course fee, simple as that.

Design and build jackets people want to buy

It's one thing to make a jacket that gets compliments, it's another thing entirely to make a jacket people will give you their hard earned money for - and that's exactly what we want to show you.

We've built and sold hundreds of jackets over the years using the exact patterns, techniques, and strategies we teach in this course.

So you can go from "Did you make that jacket?" to "Where can I buy that jacket?"

Fleece backed waterproof breathable soft-shell jacket from Section Three

Sourcing

You can't make professional outerwear without professional materials, so we show you how and where to source professional materials.

Oh and we also give you our Sourcebook, a list of our favourite material suppliers that took years to build.

Digital Workbook & Sourcebook

The Outerwear Design Course comes with two PDF guides:

  • The Workbook contains over 70 pages of in depth info, from tools and equipment, to design, tips, and detailed material guides.

  • The Sourcebook is a concise list of some of our favourite outerwear material suppliers for outerwear.

Both guides are regularly expanded and updated, and all updates are included with every course purchase.

Yes, you can do it

We want to show you that your skill behind the sewing machine isn't as important as you might think - that you can design and build incredible jackets that are simple, durable, and beautiful.

Step out of home sewing and into the world of professional design, at home.

7 Sections

The Outerwear Design Course is organized into seven sections -
with over 12 hours of detailed step by step video lessons

Section One
  • Introduction to the course and Section One

  • Tools and equipment for outerwear

  • Professional outerwear components breakdown

  • Craftsmanship and it's relative importance

  • The two worlds of fabric

  • The two styles of fabric

  • Layered and coated fabrics

  • Intro to trim and thread deep dive

  • Zipper deep dive

  • Additional trim

Section Two
  • Introduction to Section Two and a lesson on what makes jackets from a factory look so professional

  • Tips and tricks on getting professional craftsmanship at home

  • Bold and subtle outerwear details

  • Jacket interiors

  • Functional details and pockets

  • Non functional and punch details

  • Outerwear fit

  • Proper fit and how to modify fit

  • Pattern run-through

  • Design thinking, prototyping, conceptualizing, and research

  • Moodboarding and sketching

Section Three
  • Introduction to Section Three

  • Creating a draft jacket

  • Fitting a draft jacket

  • Jacket One concept and mood boarding

  • Jacket One sketch and plan

  • Materials and trim for Jacket One

  • Marking and cutting Jacket One

  • Assembling Jacket One

  • Jacket One review

Section Four
  • Introduction to Section Four

  • Jacket Two concept and mood boarding

  • Jacket Two sketch and plan

  • Materials and trim for Jacket Two

  • Marking and cutting Jacket Two

  • Assembling Jacket Two

  • Jacket Two review

Section Five
  • Introduction to Section Five

  • Jacket Three concept and mood boarding

  • Jacket Three sketch and plan

  • Materials and trim for Jacket Three

  • Marking and cutting Jacket Three

  • Assembling Jacket Three

  • Jacket Three review

Section Six
  • Introduction to Section Six

  • Jacket Four concept and mood boarding

  • Jacket Four sketch and plan

  • Materials and trim for Jacket Four

  • Marking and cutting Jacket Four

  • Assembling Jacket Four

  • Jacket Four review

NEW
Section Seven

The latest section breaks down how we designed and built some of our favourite jackets from the past 10 years:

  • Insulated waxed canvas bomber

  • Waterproof breathable trail running jacket

  • Leather and waxed canvas jacket

  • Lightweight soft-shell jacket

  • Waxed canvas riding jacket

  • Heavyweight riding jacket

  • Twill summer-weight jacket

  • Insulated winter parka

Waxed canvas bomber jacket from Section Five
Eric Goodwin wearing the waterproof breathable jacket from Section Four

Award winning
instructor

I have had the amazing fortune to work as a professional designer over my career so far. I've won awards, shown collections in fashion shows, worked with amazing teams, and have been featured in various magazines and media - but that's not important.

What is important is that I love outerwear, and I love teaching. I'm not here to talk about my accomplishments, I'm here to help you achieve what you want to accomplish.

- Eric Goodwin

'With Eric's versatile knowledge and experience in garment production, raw material selection, digital and industrial design, I would confidently recommend him as a strong and capable instructor'

- Jonathan Tan
Raw Material Sourcing, Lululemon athletica
'I would recommend this course to absolutely anybody, you'd be crazy not to'

- Josh
Outerwear Design Course Student
NEW

Exclusive Community Access

The Outerwear Design Couse now comes with exclusive course level membership to the Lathley Community - an online community for all things creative.

Join other students, alumni, instructors, and industry professionals inside the community - where you can ask questions, attend events, share resources, and connect with like-minded individuals and professionals from across the industry.

+ Small Brand Photography Course

You don't need a full photo studio, learn exactly how to take incredible product photography even in a spare bedroom.
Header image

Learn professional level product photography at home

Small brands live and die by their photography. In a world where your brand is mostly viewed through a screen, amazing photography has the power to elevate your brand more than anything else.

Using the strategies, tips and tricks we show you in this course, you can capture world class photography for your small brand, at home, using inexpensive equipment.

We do it all in a spare bedroom and so can you!

Ready to rock?

If you're ready to learn a skill few people have, sign up below - we can't wait to see you inside!

Cheers,
The Lathley Team

FAQ's

We've put together the most common questions about our course, and if you can't find the answer here please don't hesitate to reach out!

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I really want to make my own jacket - but what if I’ve never sewn before? How much sewing experience do I need?

Awesome to hear you’re interested in making your own outerwear!

This course is designed as an introductory course, though we do recommend students having some sewing experience before starting this course - being comfortable with your sewing machine and how it operates, and having some experience making easy projects (such as tote bags or blankets) would be great to have before starting our course.

For an easy project, we do have our Technical Blanket Workshop - which you can check out here!

Do I need a specific kind of sewing machine?

You will not need a specific machine - just one that works well and you’re familiar with using. We are working with denser fabrics such as denim and canvas which some lighter duty home sewing machines may struggle with. We suggest using a heavy duty sewing machine, or an industrial sewing machine if possible (but it is not required).

The only stitch function required is a single straight stitch.

What other equipment/tools do I need for the course?

We keep it as simple and minimal as possible, but you’ll need:

- Fabric shears (a nice sharp pair)
- Snips (for clipping threads)
- Binder clips (in place of pins for most situations)
- Pins (to use occasionally when binder clips won't work)
- Soft (tailors) measuring tape (for measuring)
- Chalk/pens/pencil crayons (for tracing the pattern)
- Snaps and setting tools (if you want snaps on your jackets)

You can use a dress form if you want but it’s not required (we don’t use one in the course)

Does the course come with patterns?

Yes! The course includes two full printed outerwear patterns in women’s XS - XL and men’s XS - XL along with other pieces like pockets, hoods, etc.

What materials do I need?

We cover materials in the course and provide suggested materials for a wide variety of jacket styles. (and where you can purchase them)

What can I expect from this course?

The course consists of pre-recorded video lessons, outerwear patterns and a workbook/sourcebook are also provided. In the video lessons, we will cover the basics of outerwear design, including - material selection, fit, and construction. After the basics are covered - the jackets start getting made! In our video lessons, we make four different jackets, each with varying levels of detail and complexity - from moodboard, to sketch, to finished jacket.

How fast paced are the videos?

We try to balance a quick pace without being overwhelming. We do cover a good amount of info in our video lessons and we break up the lessons into their own video chapters - if you need to reference the info again at a later time, you can jump right to the specific chapter from the table of contents on the homepage of the course.

What if I have questions that weren’t covered in the course?

We’re here to help! Shoot us an email and we’ll do our best to help you out. In the future we will also be doing live Q&A’s as well as expanding and refining the course.

What if I’m not sure this is the right course for me?

Shoot us an email! We’re here to help, not make a sale - we’ll help you figure out if this course is right for you and aligned with your sewing and design goals.

What is your refund policy?

We have a 60 day full refund policy for the course - if the course isn't right for you we'll refund your full course fee

Can I expect any kind of support?

Definitely! We’re here to help if you’re experiencing any kind of technical issues with the course itself, if there’s problems getting the results you want in your outerwear, or if you have any questions or needing further clarification.

We’ll do everything we can to set you up for success in your outerwear design journey!

Is there a certificate of completion?

Yes! As an included optional benefit - you can receive a certificate of completion after you complete your coursework and it is reviewed by the Lathley team. This is not an automated system, we review your work and send a personalized certificate of completion.